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2018 Atlantic hurricane season starts Friday

Delaware Public Media

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season starts Friday, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says there’s a 75% chance this season will see near- or above-normal storm activity.

As hurricane season gets underway, the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center is reminding residents to be prepared.

Sussex County EOC director Joe Thomas says everyone should have a disaster kit.

“That’s basically a three-day supply of   food, water, materials, money, anything that will help a person self-sustain theirselves should a storm happen to hit,” said Thomas.

Thomas notes last year was one of the more active seasons on record, with historic rainfall from storms like Harvey and Maria damaging wide areas.  He says unfortunately, many people were caught by surprise. That’s why he urges Delawareans not to wait until the last minute to prepare.

 

Thomas adds many people come to Sussex to get away from it all on vacation. But he warns against completely disconnecting.

“You have to be aware and cognizant of the situations and what’s going on as far as the weather and things around you. Because you never know when one of these things could happen with something like this. A perfect example is what happened in Ellicott City (MD) over the weekend with the flash flooding," said Thomas.

 

Thomas says one step residents can take as hurricane season begins is to create a safety profile for your household with the County’s free Smart911.comservice. That provides potentially critical, life-saving information up front to first responders.

 

 
NOAA officials predict 10 to 16 named tropical storms this year - with five to nine perhaps reaching hurricane status. Already a weakened Subtropical Storm Alberto made landfall Monday in the Florida Panhandle, showering the Southeast with rain and killing two journalists in North Carolina when a tree fell on their van.

Hurricane season ends on November 30th.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.